A chemical engineer shall not make public comments or statements in areas outside of his competence.

• A. Absolutely true
• B. Absolutely not true
• C. Can comment, but only on the details of a project within the area of knowledge and limited to enquiries which seek deeper understanding to assist the public to evaluate engineering works without the engineer implying personal competence in the area.
• D. Can comment, as long as they feel that by so doing they can constructively advance the well-being of the community

Answer: (A)

The essential idea is that engineers must keep public statements within the boundaries of their verified expertise to protect safety and accuracy. When you speak publicly about engineering topics, you’re conveying information that others may rely on for important decisions. If you venture into areas you don’t know well, you risk giving misleading or incomplete guidance, which can cause harm or erode trust in the profession. That’s why the rule is stated as an absolute: you should not make public comments about areas outside your competence.

If you stay within your area of knowledge, you can share factual, well-supported information about projects you understand and avoid implying expertise in other fields. When a question touches on topics beyond your competence, the responsible move is to defer to a more qualified expert or focus on what you can substantiate with confidence.